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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

I absolutely LOVE shopping but on Black Friday I stay as far away from the malls as possible. I hate the crowds and the lines but thankfully in the last few years the online shopping deals have really become popular. If I end up doing any shopping this week, it will probably be online...I mean 50% off and free shipping at some places...how can I resist?

Here are the best of the Black Friday sales:

Madewell: 25% off your purchase between today and Monday using code FEAST25 (free shipping on all orders

Express: 50% off every single item until noon on Friday (in-store and online)

JCrew Factory: 50% off everything plus free shipping when you spend $50 or more with code HOLIDAY50Kendra Scott jewelry: 20% off everything and free ground shipping with code BFCM2013Bloomingdales: Take 25% off almost every $200 you spend and save up to 50% on select itemsBCBG: Up to 60% off select stylesJCrew: 30% off your purchase with code HOLIDAYPiperlime: Extra 30% off sale items by entering code THANKS at checkout today

Please share if you've found other great deals online and happy shopping!

Friday, November 22, 2013

I'm not a cook so my family has designated me as the bartender of the group. This year I've been searching for the perfect cocktail to make on Thanksgiving/Hanukkah and Christmas. I'm a fan of fruity cocktails, anything with chocolate and frozen mixed drinks. Here are some of the drink recipes on my list - all of these can easily be made with or without alcohol:

It felt like a long week this week since I had a bunch of appointments and a conference yesterday. I'm looking forward to the Oklahoma game this weekend and to see the new Hunger Games movie tonight. It's going to be cold so I'm busting out the sweatpants and hot chocolate and bracing myself for another nerve-wracking Patriots game on Sunday night against the Broncos. Now, I leave you with my Friday Five:

1. Great gifts at TJ Maxx

Nars gift sets

Essie colors

2. Trader Joe's cookie butter - if you haven't tried this, it's the new Nutella, go out and get some

First came the big statement necklaces so naturally now we are seeing a lot of statement earrings. I wear large studs on a daily basis but lately I love statement earrings for a night out or to give a pop of color or sparkle to a neutral outfit. It's challenging to find big earrings that don't pull on your ears so inexpensive ones can work pretty well. These are some of my recommendations under $100.

Monday, November 18, 2013

I feel like I haven't had much time to blog in the last week. I was in 5 states since Tuesday and I'm finally back home and getting back into the swing of things. Here are a few pictures and a few things on my wish list:

The last of the fall foliage in Boston….most of the leaves fell over the last week.

A creek in New Hampshire.

Scored this JCrew tweed jacket at Second Time Around! Also found those J Brand jeans I'm wearing in this picture but regretfully did not buy them :(

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

I hadn't gone into Anthropologie in forever and the other week I finally waltzed back in….and ended up finding a whole bunch of things I loved. Aside from the many holiday gifts, such as mugs, lotion, jewelry and candles, they had some really cute winter things like sweaters and tunics. I didn't end up buying anything yet but I just love the experience of walking through the store and exploring.

Monday, November 11, 2013

I love when the holiday shopping period begins because then makeup gift sets start hitting the shelves. Around this time of year is when you can really get the best value for your money in terms of makeup samplers and travel sets. Nearly every brand offers a set and they can make a really great holiday gift, stocking stuffer or yankee swap gift. Here are my top 5 favorite makeup gift sets:

Friday, November 8, 2013

So I wanted to do a quick post to share a new beauty find that I just discovered. It's called NYX butter gloss. It's a creamy, smooth lip gloss that comes in a bunch of shades. I've never tried anything from NYX before but I had heard about it from some other bloggers and a friend of mine who loves it. I finally got around to picking one up - I got the creme brulee shade, which is kind of a coffee colored neutral - and I'm in love. It cost $5 for one or $10 for a 3-pack and honestly, now I'm wishing I got the 3-pack because I'm eager to try some more colors. You can find these at Ulta, Target or Nordstrom.

Get on over to Nordy's, there is some amazing stuff on sale. It's the perfect time to pick up a new pair of ankle boots, some Kate Spade jewelry or the Rebecca Minkoff mini mac bag you were saving up for!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

I've worn eyeglasses since about fourth grade. I've just always had bad vision and as my eyeglasses prescription has gotten worse, glasses have actually become more stylish. I recently got a pair of Ray Ban frames that I absolutely love and don't feel self-conscious wearing. Although I do wear contacts most of the time, I love my glasses and feel like they are current and stylish, as opposed to being something I have to wear.

When I bought my new glasses, I went to a store and while I do love the frames I found, I feel like I paid a bit too much for them. I should have checked out the possibility of buying eyeglasses online since so many websites have good selections and better prices.

One of those sites is GlassesUSA.com. They have an excellent choice of brands, styles and prices. They even have frames starting at around $38, which actually look very similar to my Ray Bans. In addition, the site has prescription sunglasses in trendy styles like wayfarers and aviators.

If you'd like to order a pair of frames, I have an excellent offer for Pretty Pieces readers. Just enter the discount code "Blog10" at checkout to get 10% off your purchase. Also, check out the Virtual Mirror below to try on glasses and see how they look on your face before ordering online.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

I've loved Mac makeup for years. It's affordable and good quality and has fun celebrity collaborations from time to time. Currently, I have the creme blush, mineralize blush, eyeshadow and lipstick…and I love every single product. I mix and match with other products, but I always have something from Mac in my makeup bag. On my wish list right now is the cremesheen gloss and the mineralize eyeshadow.

Picking up a new item from Mac every so often really doesn't break the bank and lasts for a really long time. Also, I just found out that if you bring in 6 old Mac containers, you will receive a free lipstick!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Saturday was the Red Sox Championship Parade and living in the Fenway area gave me the best spot to watch the Duck Boats go by. We saw almost all the players, the trophies and the coaches. They had the mascot, Wally, the Dropkick Murphys and some of the Marathon bombing survivors along for the ride as well. It was an awesome and festive day…and weather-wise it was a perfect 70 degrees and sunny.